XMen: Phoenix Reborn
by Winds of the Desert
Summary: Congress is passing a Mutant Registration Act; will their fear of mutants be proved right by the Brotherhood? Or will the X-Men's newest member make them realize they're wrong? Elizabeth, the Phoenix, has decided to show everyone what she can do. ON HIATUS
1. Mutant Registration Act

_Mutation._

_It is the key to our evolution. It has allowed us to evolve from a single-celled organism to the dominant species on the planet. This process is slow, usually taking millions of years. _

_But every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward..._

/\/\/\/\

A red-headed teenage girl stood outside the gates to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, shifting nervously from foot to foot. 'Should I go in now? No, I should wait for a professor to come by….. Oh, I don't know!' she thought, sighing in frustration.

"Can I help you?" asked a voice behind her. The girl spun around to find a black woman with white hair looking at her curiously.

"No!.. I-I mean, yes, actually! This is the place that takes in runaway mutants, right?" the girl asked, cringing at her own stupidity. 'Idiot! She might not be a mutant!' she instantly rebuked herself.

"Yes, this is the place. I'm a teacher there. Ororo Munroe," said the woman, holding out a hand. The girl gaped at her for a moment in surprise before awkwardly shaking her hand. "I'm Annabelle," the girl said quickly as a relieved grin spread across her face.

/\/\/\/\

"The school is currently on 'summer break'," said Professor Ororo-who preferred 'Storm'- as she and Anna walked through the empty school grounds up to the mansion, "But term starts next week. You can stay here until then with the other kids with no homes."

They entered the mansion, walking past several rooms with kids of all ages playing video games, watching TV, reading, and a variety of other things. Anna glanced in at them quizzically as they passed.

They eventually stopped in front of a large oak door. Storm knocked three times. "Come in," called a voice inside. Storm opened the doors to reveal a bald man at a desk and two other adults sitting across from him.

"Excuse me, Professor Xavier," said Storm as the two other adults in the room stared at Anna in surprise, "But we have a new student." Storm stepped back, allowing the three to see Anna.

"Ah, yes, hello my dear! I knew there'd be new students coming. My name is Charles Xavier!" said Charles, rolling his wheelchair around his desk and stopping in front of Anna, offering a handshake.

Anna accepted the handshake before Xavier motioned to a chair and said, "I'm sorry, but we'll have to get right down to business. These are Professors Jean Grey and Scott Summers."

He motioned to the two other adults, who nodded as they were introduced as Anna sat in the chair. "I'm Annabelle Swanson. You can call me Anna," Anna said as Charles rolled back behind his desk.

"Ah, yes, Annabelle; always liked that name. Anyway, I'm sorry to intrude, but would you mind telling me your power so I don't have to rummage through your thoughts?" Charles asked as he and the rest of the teachers all turned to her.

Anna blinked in surprise before transforming her body from red-headed and green-eyed with medium length hair to blonde-haired and violet eyed with floor-length hair. "My friends back home called me Trickster because I changed my appearance so often," Anna said as Storm nodded her approval and Jean and Scott shared a surprised yet pleased look.

Anna transformed back to her original form as Charles said, "A wonderful ability, if I do say so myself! We've never had a shape-shifter here before!"

He beamed at her and said, "Jean, please show this young lady to the girl's dorm and tell the other students they have a new companion." Jean nodded and stood up. Anna stood as well and Jean led the way out of the room.

/\/\/\/\

"I can't tell you how many times I've wished I had a power like yours," sighed Jean as she led Anna to the girl's dorm. Anna shrugged and sighed, "It's nothing like walking through walls or flying. Besides, I only just developed it; I can't even do very many transformations yet."

"Don't underestimate your ability," said Jean sternly as they entered the dorm, "And don't say you'd rather not have it either, because then you wouldn't deserve it either."

Jean stopped and motioned to an empty, unused bed. "You can stay here. By the way, how long _are_ you staying?" Jean asked. Anna glanced at her, setting her bag on the bed before answering, "Probably forever."

/\/\/\/\

Jean walked back through the hallways, pondering what Anna said. 'She must've ran away from home; probably mutant-hating parents,' Jean thought sadly as she re-entered Xavier's office.

"Oh, Jean, you just got a call; Congress is meeting to discuss the 'Mutant Registration Act' in two days," said Scott as she sat beside him. "Oh, brilliant," muttered Jean. 'Stupid bastards,' she thought.

/\/\Two days later: Congress meeting/\/\

"It is a proven fact that mutants who've revealed their powers and identities to the public have often been met with fear, hostility…. even violence," said Jean in front of the rest of Congress, giving voice to her opinions in front of live television.

"Well, why should mutants hide from us? I think we have a right to know what they're up to," said a voice. Jean stifled a sigh of annoyance as Senator Robert Kelly from Kansas stood up to face her.

"I never said they were hiding, Senator Kelly," she said as he walked in front of Congress as well.

"Aren't they? Well let me show you what's being hidden, Miss Grey," said Kelly, turning to look at the assembled Congressman and other spectators, "I have here in my hand a list of names of identified mutants right here in America."

"Let's see, there's a girl from Illinois who can walk through walls, a boy from Virginia that can fly, and- ooh! Here's a good one! A woman being held in custody by the CIA who hurt an innocent man! It doesn't even say her powers on the list!" Kelly said, turning from the list to look at Jean with a serious expression.

"We might not know her powers, but the man she attacked died in the hospital emergency room not fifteen hours ago. That, Miss Grey, is a serious problem. There wasn't a single physical injury on that man, but he screamed and ranted like he was burning alive. He eventually got a hold of on of the nurse's pens and stabbed himself in the neck," Kelly said, turning back to look at the horror-struck audience.

"Personally, I think the American people should be able to decide whether or not they want their children to go to school with mutants; to be taught by mutants!" Kelly said to a great round of applause; to the terror-stricken parents in the crowd, Robert Kelly was a savior.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the truth is, mutants are _very _real. And they are among us. As such, we must know who they are, and-most importantly-what they can do!" Kelly said to a huge round of cheers.

Jean couldn't make herself heard anymore over the applause as the crowd cheered and shouted its approval of the Mutant Registration Act. Jean sought the only person in the crowd who's face was not filled with glee; Xavier looked at the humans in disappointment as Jean thought, "_I'm sorry, Professor._"

"_It's alright,_" Xavier sighed back through their telepathic link, "_Humans always were slow to see what was right in front of them._"

/\/\/\/\

_A/N: The newest fanfiction by yours truly takes you into the world of X-Men! How exciting! This is one of my favorite movies, so I decided it's high time I showed those human morons what mutants are capable of! Hope you enjoy, I'll post again soon!  
>-Wind<em>


	2. Interrogation and Transformations

"Come on, Elizabeth, talk to me. What did you do to that man?" asked the interrogator. "Piss off, you pansy," Liz replied, not even turning to look at him as she muttered to herself a string of curse words so profound a nun would've had a heart attack.

"Liz, we're not getting anywhere. If you just tell me about your powers, you'll get a less severe punishment, I promise you. I swear on my mother's grave," the interrogator said, raising his right hand in a promise. "You must really hate your mother," Elizabeth muttered, glancing at him with an irritated expression.

The interrogator slammed his hands on the desk between them. "Look, missy! One more smart comment and-!" he snarled.

Suddenly, the door to the interrogation room opened and a man called, "Nelson, a word please." Nelson immediately stood, looking glad to have been stopped before he blew up at her.

/\/\/\/\

"Nelson, this is pointless. She just won't talk. We'll have to use another method," said Nelson's superior as he joined him in the hallway outside the interrogation room.

"Well, what do you suggest, Matthews? She's not going to talk to anyone in this department when we're all humans!... Maybe she'll talk to another mutant?" Nelson suggested.

Matthews gaped at him before grinning and saying, "And I know just the right person for the job!"

/\/\/\/\

Dr. Hank McCoy was enjoying the morning newspaper when his phone rang. Sighing, he let go of the ceiling, flipped right side up, and landed on his feet (well, hands).

"Yes, this is Hank McCoy," Hank said as he picked up the phone. "Sorry to disturb you, McCoy, but this is David Matthews; we have a problem," said the voice on the other end of the line.

Hank cringed silently; David Matthews was the best interrogator and head of security at the Mutant Criminal Holding Facility in Washington D.C. "Yes, David, how can I help you?" Hank asked as politely as he could.

"Do you know about the woman that was caught in West Virginia yesterday?" Matthews asked. "How couldn't I? The news broadcast scared the daylights out of everyone in my department for hours; why, is something the matter? You know this case is technically outside my department's jurisdiction-." Hank began.

"Yes, yes, I know, McCoy, but I didn't call for that," said David urgently, "I called to ask if you know any mutant that can read minds or get people to talk. The woman, Elizabeth, isn't making a sound to any of us humans."

Hank froze, gaping in shock, before slowly saying, "I might know one…. What do you need them to do?" "We need them to just get her to spill the extent of her powers and why she did what she did, that's all. The reward will be quite large, I can assure that. Know anyone that fits the bill, Hank?"

Hank sighed and ran a furry hand through his hair. "I'll call him, but it's his decision. Later, Matthews," he said, hanging up the phone.

/\/\/\/\

Two hours later would find Hank on his private jet heading to Westchester, New York, to visit an old friend.

/\/\/\/\

"'Mutant Registration Act'; what a load of bullshit!" snarled Megan as the channel changed from the news to cartoons. Anna quickly covered one of the younger kid's ears, knowing Megan's blowups often involved electricity and lots of swear words.

"Yo, Powerhouse, power down before you electrocute us all!" gasped the boy sitting next to her, jumping away as his hair began to rise with the amount of electricity in the air. Megan took several deep breaths, the lightning around her fading slightly.

"Don't worry; they'll never pass that law, not with mutants like the Professor against it!" assured one of the school's older students. "Yeah, well, if they do, I'll make sure they wished they hadn't!" hissed Megan, pounding her fist into her other hand as electricity began to kick up again.

Anna sighed before bookmarking her book page and getting up. "I can't take anymore of this arguing; I'm gonna go train," she said, turning on her heel and exiting the room as the bickering of her fellow students continued.

As she walked through the halls, Anna's appearance changed rapidly to copy those of the painting's occupants. "You're getting good at that," said someone behind her. Anna whipped around to see Drake Matthews, one of her new classmates, grinning at her.

Anna returned to her usual form as she said, "Is this a habit of yours, spying on a girl while she's changing?" Drake gaped at her, turning a light shade of embarrassed pink as Anna smirked. 'Ooh, touched a nerve, did I?' she thought as she turned away to continue what she was doing.

"H-hey, wait a second!" Drake protested. Anna turned back to see him shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. "Yes?" she prompted him. "W-well, you see, I was thinking, maybe…. I could help you train or something?" Drake stammered.

Anna stared at him with raised eyebrows, eyes filled with shock. "F-forget it, it was a stupid idea!" Drake said, quickly turning away.

"No, it isn't; I just wasn't expecting you to ask that," Anna corrected, making Drake freeze in place. "You can help me by pointing out the best paintings in the house, but on one condition; don't just gape at me like I'm a zoo animal. If you do, I'll kick your sorry butt all the way back to your dorm," Anna said, turning away again.

She didn't notice Drake pumping his fist in the air in triumph.

/\/\/\/\

Elizabeth hummed quietly a tune she could barely remember when a knock sounded at the door of the interrogation room she was in and her old interrogator stepped in with two other men; one completely covered in blue fur and the other bald and in a wheelchair.

"Who are these guys, my new babysitters?" Elizabeth asked skeptically. "In a way, yes. We figured you'd want to talk to some of 'your own kind' instead of us humans, so we called these guys," said Nelson.

He turned and pointed at whom Liz had dubbed 'Blue Boy'. "This is Doctor Hank McCoy, an expert in human-mutant affairs, and his associate Charles Xavier," he said.

Elizabeth jerked slightly in surprise and looked at 'Wheels' more intently. "You've heard of me?" asked Xavier. "More or less," said Elizabeth with a noncommittal shrug of indifference.

"I guess I'll leave you to it," Nelson said, walking back out of the room as her two new interrogators sat on the opposite side of Liz's table. "Remember, Liz, don't try anything!" Nelson snapped as he was closing the door.

Elizabeth bared her teeth in a feral snarl as the door slammed shut. Both Hank and Charles glanced at each other; this was going to be long day.

/\/\/\/\

_A/N: Chapter two done! WHOOHOO! Anyways, hope you like, comment, review, give opinions, whatever the hell you wanna do; just make sure I get good feedback!  
>-Wind<em>


	3. Barriers & a Spider

Charles sat across from Elizabeth, finger to temple, about to read her thoughts, when a wave of pain fell over his mind. "Agh!" he gasped, putting a hand to his head. "Charles?" Hank asked, looking at him in surprise.

Suddenly, Elizabeth started giggling, grinning up at their shocked faces. "They actually resorted to a telepath to get the answers out of me? They really are desperate this time, aren't they?" she laughed harshly.

She glanced with a slightly apologetic look at Charles and said, "Sorry you got mixed up in this, but you can stop trying to read my mind now. I've met stronger telepaths than you who've actually had their minds fragment apart when they tried to force their way past my barriers."

"You're a telepath?" Charles asked in amazement, actually glad he didn't have to enter her mind after all. "That and more," Elizabeth said with an unconcerned shrug of indifference.

"You'll need to tell us what you can do if you want to be let out early," Hank said seriously. Elizabeth grinned at him. "I killed a man without even touching him; do you honestly expect me to be let out of here alive?" she asked. Hank raised his eyebrows and muttered, "So much for encouragement."

/\/\/\/\

Storm was writing up a lesson plan for when the school year started again when a knock sounded at her door. "Come in!" she called. Scott stuck his head in the small crack he opened and said, "We got another newbie here. When's the Professor getting back again?"

Storm got to her feet as she said, "I don't know. What's their power?" Scott grinned and said, "Apparently she can grow up to six extra arms and has poisonous fangs. Almost killed a guy who broke into her family's house three weeks ago; you should check it out, it's pretty amazing."

Storm followed Scott out into the hall and down to his usual classroom to reveal a girl with black hair with red highlights sitting in a chair, tossing a lighter back and forth between four of her hands while the other four sat patiently in her lap.

"Okay, Storm, this is Jennifer Black, also known as Black Widow. Jennifer, this is Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. Storm," Scott introduced them. Jennifer's six extra arms slowly retracted back into her body, leaving holes in her shirt, as she lifted her original right arm up to shake Storm's hand. "Pleasure," she said with a very clear British accent.

"So, you're planning on staying here for awhile?" asked Storm. Jen laughed. "If by 'for awhile' you mean 'forever', I'm your girl! My parents kicked me out for saving my little brother with these fangs of mine…. Bloody fascists," Jen muttered sourly, briefly opening her mouth to reveal long pointed fangs hanging out of her mouth like sharp thorns.

"Alright then, I'll take you to your dorm then," Storm said with a glance at Scott, who shrugged. Jen stood, revealing several bruises and cuts up and down her arms as she grabbed her small pack.

"Who's this?" asked a voice from the doorway. They turned to see Anna turning back into her original form with Drake just behind her. "Oh, Anna, good! You can introduce Jen here to the rest of the students; she's your new dorm mate," Storm said as Jen shifted her bag on her shoulders.

Anna nodded, looking Jen over. Jen stared straight back, not at all intimidated by her. Anna grinned. "Come on; the dorm's this way," she said, and led the way out of the room.

/\/\/\/\

"I'll tell you everything you need to know…. If you make those human bozos watching us turn off the cameras." Elizabeth said, looking Xavier in the eye. "They're not going to like that," said Hank warningly. "Do you think I care? I just want to get this over with and get out of here," sighed Elizabeth with annoyance dripping from her voice.

Xavier nodded to Hank, who reached a blue hand under the table and flipped the camera switch off. Charles immediately felt the spectators in the nearby room kick up a frenzy of angry thoughts, but he didn't care; his eyes were on Elizabeth as she took a deep breath.

"Okay," she said, leaning back in her chair with a smug grin, "Should I show you my powers or do I have to just tell you what they are?"

/\/\/\/\

_End of Chapter Funnies:_

_Audience Member 1: "Damn you, Wind! We were about to find out the Phoenix's powers and you stopped the damn chapter with a cliff hanger!"_

_Me: "That's what I do, bitch!"_

_A/N: Ahahaha! Don't worry; we'll get to Elizabeth's powers in the next chapter! Until then, remember; rate, review, comment, criticize, subscribe, whatever the hell you people do, just GIVE ME FEEDBACK! BTW if you want me to update faster either leave some nice reviews or vote for this story on my profile poll!  
>-Wind<em>


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